The story literally fucking no one asked for.

Also the pairing even less people asked for.

It makes sense, I promise. Just not right now.

Major LB6 spoilers ahead, obviously.

An infinite void, spiralling down into nothingness.

A swirling abyss, likened to Hell. Far out in the distance, at the very limit of what the eye could see, were putrid, red walls, squirming and pulsing, as if alive.

"A sky that has no bottom."

And through it, a man fell. Endlessly. Pulled down cruelly by the forces of the world.

Shoulder length grey hair that blackened at the tips. A small crown of crystalline blue thorns sat on his head, glowing dimly. Whatever light it emitted was eaten away by the abyss, almost instantly.

Dragonfly wings fluttered uselessly. No matter how hard they tried to beat, they would never achieve anything.

The man's sharp azure eyes, whose gleam had been robbed by the darkness, looked towards the sky. Or at least, the direction he thought the sky was in.

"…Lives that are lived emptily."

A trail of insects followed him as he plunged downwards, radiating from and falling off the regal midnight cloak that rested on his shoulders.

He brought his hand upwards, trying to catch the fading insects within his palm.

A monstruous hand, clad in a black exoskeleton, insect and dragon-like in nature, met his view.

The insects kept on rushing by his hand, falling through the gaps. In the end, there was nothing caught in his palm.

"The joy that you lived through today will become nothing more than a fleeting memory by tomorrow."

Far, far away, the roaring sound of a mechanical engine could be heard. Fuel being burned, desperately trying to push against the hold of gravity.

Perhaps it was to those people on that airship the man was speaking to.

Or perhaps, he was speaking to no one.

"Your sufferings, too. The pain and despair brought upon you today will leave no mark on the you of tomorrow, banished to the same realm of that forgotten joy of yours. You will wake up and smile, leaving everything behind you."

The man sighed.

"You… you 'real people'… you're disgusting things to someone like me. A story, a fairy-tale, that has no place anywhere, forgotten once his tale has been told."

He made a sour face.

"Beautiful things turn ugly. Ugly things turn beautiful. Under the right conditions and circumstances, the two will blend seamlessly in your ignorant eyes."

A horrible chuckle left his mouth, laced with self-loathing and melancholy.

"Hah. What a terrible joke. Those lives of yours… do they really have any value?"

Debris fell by him from all sides. The remains of a rotten country, a cursed history.

The abyss went silent.

"…"

The man's eyes lazily flicked over to the side.

The lifeless body of a small, white moth fell alongside him. A clean, pristine thing. Whiter than snow. Soft and smooth all around, even its wings seemed like something that was delicately groomed to perfection.

It was an infinitely fragile existence.

He reached towards it with his other arm, the one that was still human.

"What about you, Blanca? Got anything to say?"

He gingerly stroked it, a touch of fear running through his nerves, as if he was scared of breaking it.

"…"

Of course, the lifeless remains of a moth could not say anything.

"Your tale, was it satisfactory? Do you think your life was well lived?"

His sharp eyes softened.

"…That's fine. You don't have to answer right now. You can rest… some other day, you can tell me."

And so, the man fell. Fell through the bottomless pit, through that endless tunnel, never to find a destination.

A slight buzzing reached his ears.

The insects which had formed his cloak tried to whisper something to him.

The man sighed.

"You're all idiots. Fly? With what? These wings? They're just decorations, you morons."

He sneered hatefully.

But beneath that snare, there were no ill feelings.

"…Still wish I could have taken the Chaldeans down with me. Oh well, whatever… not like I have the power to change that outcome."

The man drawled out half-heartedly.

"…You hear that, bugs? It's all over now. Nothing left to do. Go. Shoo. Fly away, wherever you desire. I don't want to see any of your faces ever again, you hear me?"

The buzzing did not fade.

"The hell's wrong with you bunch? Didn't you hear me? Scram! Shoo! I don't have any need for any of you! Fly away! Go live whatever meaningless lives you have left. Don't spend them by my side."

But still, the incessant buzzing did not dissipate.

"…what the hell…"

The man chuckled.

"…Fine then. Hang by my useless self if you really feel like it. Not like I have any power to stop you."

He smiled softly.

"Farewell, Fairy Britain."

The man laughed loudly.

"And to you too, rotten Chaldeans! You pieces of shit! This tale was a dull one, but at least it wasn't uneventful! Do your best in the next world! I wish from the bottom of my liar's heart that you continue to fight bravely!"

…

Everything went quiet.

Only the faint buzzing of the insects which called him their friend remained.

"…Ah. What the hell…"

His words were peaceful. His smile was tranquil.

No hint of anger or resentment was left inside of him.

"…I got beaten to a pulp and lost horribly… why do I feel so calm?"

His vision started to fade.

His body grew heavy, slowly falling out of his own control.

Even the constant sound of the insects started to blur.

"…So, this is it." he whispered, unable to muster any more volume than that.

…

In the distance, he could see a light.

"…One final hallucination, huh? Fitting, for someone like me."

A lone point of luminance in the void.

Like a star hanging in the night sky.

It grew brighter and brighter, closer and closer, rocketing towards him.

…It was warm.

Soft, golden rays, inviting him… It was like sitting around a fireplace with friends, sharing tales and laughing together.

It was a familiar touch.

"…That you, girl?"

The image of a girl clad in glorious armour. Shining emerald eyes and golden hair. She seemed to be closing in on him.

"Why do I see you in my last moments? Am I that desperate for companionship?"

She was extending her hand out.

Like she was reaching towards him.

"…"

He made no move to reciprocate, thinking it to be nothing more than a fleeting hallucination.

A muddled voice reached his ears.

Nothing more than a low whisper.

"Twisted Oberon, who lied and betrayed. Wretched Oberon, who killed and laughed. My fated enemy, the world's enemy… Still, after everything… I cannot find it within myself to hate you. And if I, who was destined to clash against you, and the very antithesis of your being, can find it in myself to forgive you, then perhaps… one day, you can too."

He blinked slowly. The image of that girl disappeared, replaced by something else entirely.

…A woman…

He could not make out her features.

His memory could not fill in the blanks.

After all, she was just a figment of his imagination. He had never once met her.

But still, he knew one thing.

"Beautiful."

A breathless whisper.

"…Titania… you who could have loved twisted Oberon… it's a shame… I never met you…"

The warm, golden light encompassed him, and he closed his eyes, at peace.

"The beautiful yet rotten history known as Fairy Britain, which we both dearly loved, which we both struggled with all we have to protect and fight for, even if our methods differed… there is nothing left of that world. The hate from which you were born, the destiny for which you were manifested… You need those things no more."

"…So that's what the sky of Proper Human History looks like."

A true smile crept on his lips.

"How beautiful… it makes me want to vomit."

The mouth of the endless abyss shut. No escape from the bottomless hole existed anymore.

The Great Liar, Fairy King Oberon, would continue to fall forever, descending endlessly, never reaching anywhere.

"In the end, I lost. I could not protect the Britain which I loved, I surrendered to my fate, and now, I have nothing left, nothing but this tiny fragment of light. You… you alone still remain. Please, take this light, and free yourself from those shackles. Please, find a place you can smile."

…

And in the distance, a loud thud was heard.

Prologue – The Tragedy of Oberon the Liar

BEEP BEEP

…

BEEP BEEP

A lithe hand lethargically reached upwards, searching blindly to shut the alarm clock off.

CLACK

"…" A hand lazily covered a face.

"…What a terrible dream."

A slim pinkie moved down his face, creating a hole between his fingers that let him open his eyes.

Sunlight streamed through the windows of a quaint apartment.

The young man pulled his thin body off the bed, letting the blanket that covered him slowly fall off. He moved his legs to the side, gently touching down on the wooden floor.

The young man walked around with light and elegant steps, leaving no sound behind.

He stepped into the bathroom, idly reaching for a toothbrush.

The tap was opened, toothpaste was squeezed onto the brush, and the tap closed.

He scrubbed away inside his mouth mindlessly, staring blankly into the mirror.

Bright crystal blue eyes, sparkling with a magnificent, royal gleam. Silky silver hair that curled softly down to his shoulders.

He spat the minty foam that had gathered in his mouth out into the sink, opening the tap once again to wash his mouth. After placing everything back where it belonged, he left the bathroom without any further thought.

He pulled open a closet, casually picking out a uniform. He pulled long white sleeves over his arms, then brought the two halves of the shirt together to button them up. A black blazer was thrown over the shirt, lined with white accents, with a ribbon fitted under the collar for good measure. A pair of matching black pants finished the outfit off.

He glanced over his body to make sure everything was tidy, and satisfied with everything he saw, he walked into the living room. He reached for the slim black device that rested on its surface, pulling the charging chord that was attached to it.

He blinked as the screen's electronic display lit up.

"…Still not used to this thing. Human engineering… the work of the shitty fairies back home really is nothing compared to true human ingenuity. Tch, I guess that's to be expected though." he muttered lowly.

7:53AM

"No time for breakfast, then… guess I'll have to get it on the way."

He turned on his heel and moved for the door, grabbing a slim rectangular bag and throwing it over his shoulder as he put on his shoes.

When he opened the door and stepped outside, the young man was greeted by the harsh sunlight.

He closed his eyes and half-winced, turning away from the bright sun.

"…"

The young man slowly opened his eyelids, surveying the street around him.

A clean, smooth black road, populated sparsely by cars which rolled down the street with moderate speed, in no hurry to reach their destination.

School children walked down polished stone sidewalks, some running to catch up with their friends. They exchanged greetings happily and laughed as they played around and chatted.

It was a novel sight for him. Strange, but not unwelcome. To see people so… free, and happy.

For some reason, it warmed his cold, dead heart to see such normal sights.

"What a shitty world you've placed me in, girl."

He looked up towards the sun, staring directly into its blinding light, unflinching.

And slowly, the lethargic, blank look on his face disappeared, twisting into a bright smile with practised ease.

"…Well, questions for later, I suppose. For now, its time for Fairy King Oberon to take the stage."

And that was how that perfectly regular day had started for Oberon, former Faerie King and Lord of Wales.

…

A jaunty tune was hummed from a deep and rich voice, accompanied by a gait that was light and graceful.

Glimmering silver hair stood out amongst the faceless crowd, resting upon a face with delicate, smooth features. A slim, almost feminine, jawline, painted over with by glossy pale skin.

He bounced from step to step with a certain whimsical energy, a charming smile resting naturally on his lips, carrying a trace of mischief.

The image was one of a runaway prince, one who served as a protagonist of a fairy tale. Daring and roguish, charming everyone with his gallant, yet mischievous demeanor.

He resembled those fairy-tale princes so much so that it almost seemed hard to believe he was real. His beauty was ephemeral, fleeting… If they so much as blinked, it felt as if he would disappear, just like any other fanciful hallucination.

Perhaps that was why the people around here had given him the moniker-

"Hey, look at that… if it isn't dear Fairy Prince Oberon!"

Gruff, rugged voices called from behind him in a menacing manner.

"…"

Oberon paused, if only for a moment, glancing behind his shoulder.

A trio of teenagers with messy hair wearing wrinkled, dirty half-done school uniforms. They scowled rather aggressively, glaring daggers at him.

He blinked innocently, frowning.

Those faces looked familiar, but he couldn't remember exactly why. Had he wronged them in the past? If he did, he was fairly certain he'd recall it, but, well… nothing came up.

The delinquents sauntered up to him, their faces curling up with hostile intent.

"May I help you fine gentlemen on this wonderful morning?" Oberon tilted his head.

The one on the side cracked their knuckles. "Yea, you can."

The leader of the group, standing in the middle, sighed, rolling his neck, and extended his arm out, beckoning him with his fingers. "I could use some help, Fairy Prince. You see, my boss' mood has been pretty down lately because a certain someone has failed to pay back what he has borrowed… If it were possible for that someone to give that money back, plus added… interest, my morning would be quite wonderful."

…

Ah.

Oberon nodded blankly.

"I see… that's quite a predicament bothering you." Even when his voice was perfectly flat, it still carried a harmonic quality to it that made it beautiful.

"Well, then…" he slowly backed off, turning his heels inch by inch.

He ran away in a mad sprint, dashing all the way across the street.

"Hey, you! Get back here!" The delinquents shouted at him, clumsily scrambling to catch up with him.

He laughed heartily, turning around to wave at them, winking at them with a playful glint in his eyes.

"I'll see you all later! I promise I'll pay you back on a later date!"

He made his way across town, weaving between streets, still on the run from the small group of delinquents.

"O-oi…The hell's…" one of them panted. "Hell's up with this… freak… how's he got… so much… energy?"

Two minutes. Three minutes. Five minutes. The chase went on and on, eventually tiring the small gang out. Still, for the sake of their honor – and the money… it wasn't an inconsequential amount of money that Oberon had 'borrowed' from them – they had to chase him down no matter what.

But even as they continually got worn down, Oberon did not so much as breathe loudly even once. He was still running away in peak condition, with as much energy in his body as he had when they started.

"Fools!" Their target called out from far in front of him, almost no more than a dot in the distance at that point. It was a wonder how he was able to hear them in the first place. "You'll have to try much harder than that if you want to catch the Fairy Prince!"

Another gratingly loud and carefree laugh rung throughout the street, only angering them further, filling them with even more motivation to catch up to him.

Not long after, a large, ornate building came into view, reminiscent of a large-scale mansion. Two walls of brick surrounded it, opening in the middle through a gate, with slabs of marble forming a path through it.

"S-shit! That's-!"

"I know! Kuoh Academy! Only place around here that fancy! Don't let him get inside!"

They clenched their bodies and pushed their burning muscles even further, mustering one last burst of speed to try and catch up.

"Too late!" The familiar voice taunted them.

Oberon pushed past the crowd of students slowly trailing in, drawing the attention of everyone there. He almost entirely ignored the gate, choosing instead to run directly at the brick walls, climbing up them with almost superhuman agility.

"Damn it!" The trio stopped running, hunching over and panting. They knew it was pointless to chase him now that he was on school grounds. Any further and they'd be asking for much more trouble than it was worth.

"You…" their supposed leader grinded his teeth.

"We'll get you next time, you damn prince! And when we do, you'll be paying double!" He shouted as best he could with his empty lungs, shaking his fist at him.

Oberon just laughed again from where he sat atop the walls. "I'll be looking forward to it! Oh, and by the way, tell your boss he's crap at poker, like seriously! Far too easy to get worked up!"

He waved at them one more time for good measure, enjoying watching as their faces scrunched up and they turned away, leaving angrily.

Around him, people started to clap.

"Woo, yea!"

"Next time don't even run! They don't deserve it! Just beat them up!"

"Faster than a cheetah, more cunning than a fox! That's the Fairy Prince, Oberon!"

A crowd slowly gathered around him, clapping, cheering and laughing.

The girls gazed up at him with adoring eyes, blushing slightly as he smiled at each and every one of him.

Even the boys, who normally were weary of pretty boys like him, were won over as time passed by his theatrical demeanor and roguish charm.

Oberon chuckled, slowly rising until he stood upright on the brick walls.

"Thank you, thank you."

He bowed dramatically in all directions, slowly calming down the loud crowd.

"But alas, this small feat was nothing worth cheering for. Those delinquents were nothing more than extras in a film. The act you just witnessed was just a meaningless interlude, a scene made to fill empty minutes, as written by a subpar director, desperately searching for a way to pad the runtime."

He smiled wistfully.

"If it is a grand performance the audience seeks, that is one thing my humble self cannot provide."

The boys laughed him off.

"Humble, you? Yeah, right!"

"Quit joking around, Oberon! You know there's not a single humble bone inside you!"

Oberon laughed. "Perhaps you all are right. Maybe that will spell the end of my play. My hubris will form the curtains that will close upon this tragedy."

"If you don't climb down from that wall, I can guarantee you it won't be your hubris that will bring about the exodos of this tragedy."

A cold voice pierced through the crowd.

A lone figure slowly approached him, the crowd around her parting to make way.

A bespectacled young woman who carried herself with pride and grace. Her hair was trimmed into a neat bob cut, framing her violet eyes which held a freezing glint.

"Ah." Oberon chuckled lowly.

"Go on then, all of you." He made a shooing motion with his fingers, gesturing to the crowd of school students. "Carry on with your day. There is nothing more to see here. Shoo."

He turned back to the young woman glaring up at him, stoically crossing her arms.

Oberon smiled wryly at her. "If it isn't the nemesis who will eventually bring about my peripeteia, Souna Shitori…"

He hopped off the wall with ease, landing soundlessly.

The girl, Souna, narrowed her eyes at him, only further adding to the dangerous glint. "It will be your hamartia that will bring the peripeteia forth, my involvement is just incidental."

Oberon pulled on the strap on his shoulder, bringing his bag up to eye level. After making sure that it had not gotten scratched or ruffled anywhere, he turned back to Souna.

"Also." Souna carried on, her voice still cold. "Really? Was that the best you could do? Quite frankly, I'm almost insulted at how explicitly that line was stolen. If you are to use a line such as that, at least do so in the correct context, don't besmirch its artistic integrity and use it on random occasions such as this."

"Hm?" Oberon smiled cheekily, pretending to be clueless.

Souna frowned, unamused. "Don't put on that face. You know what I'm talking about. 'It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing'."

Oberon laughed. "Macbeth, huh? Act 5, Scene 5… Is that what you believe those words were in reference to? Shitori, my dear, I believe you're committing the literary intellectual's classic mistake of reading too much into every spoken word. Those were simply the words that best described the situation."

Souna's frown turned almost into a deadpan. "Perhaps if it came from someone else, I would believe it to be just a coincidence or a subconscious mistake, but from a terrible liar such as yourself, I find it hard to believe your words."

She shook her head lightly, her deadpan fading. Her face returned to a neutral expression, neither cold and admonishing or angry like before. "Anyways… that is all beside the point."

She let out a large sigh. "You need to stop your habit of climbing over the walls. It would be of no cost for you to simply run through the gates, yet every time you run from local gangs, delinquents and loan sharks, you choose to take the route that could potentially endanger yourself and cause damage to school property… all for what, to please your need for theatrics?"

"Aw…" Oberon smiled gently. "That's nice of you, Shitori."

Souna squirmed slightly, her eyes narrowing again. "What are you talking about… and why do I feel like you're insulting me somehow?"

"Ah, that's not it." Oberon waved her concern off. "This time, you didn't even bring up the fact I shouldn't be cheating people out of money, or that I shouldn't take loans I can't pay. That's nice, I feel like our relationship has started to progress. Is this perhaps the plotline where the prince defrosts the icy villainous duchess, and she falls for his dashing charms?"

Souna made a face and looked off to the side. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that second half."

Her eyes turned towards him, peeking out from the corner. "…I've simply accepted that it is in your nature to cheat and scam your way out of troublesome situations. While I have no love for such practices, at the very least, I appreciate that you have never targeted an honest person when doing so, only those scoundrels and good-for-nothings…"

She sighed again. "Even if I do not personally think it is correct to fight evil with evil, I cannot help but admit that there is a certain… satisfaction… in seeing those who live off of cheating others be cheated themselves."

Oberon grinned slyly. "Oh? Perhaps I read the narrative wrong, then. Perhaps the tale being told is of the upright lady, dedicated to being righteous and lawful, slowly being won over by the daring rogue, falling to the side of vigilantism, dispensing justice herself rather than relying on the court of law."

"…" Souna glared at him. "I know enough about you to know you're not being serious, but that will not stop me from getting annoyed."

"Hm?" Oberon tilted his head. "Which part? The idea of you and I being friends?"

"Not particularly… though the idea of spending my free time with you is not particularly appealing…" Souna shook her head. "…It's more the part about… being a vigilante."

She shuddered weirdly, and an oddly faraway look entered her eyes.

"I don't have… particularly good memories about people who take matters of justice into their own hands."

Oberon blinked, frowning.

…That was odd.

Ah, whatever. It wasn't his business.

He shrugged. "I'll keep that in mind for our next meeting, which, hopefully, will not be too soon."

Souna frowned, coughing into her hand. "…As strange as this sounds, Oberon Gwrtheyrn, I do hope our next meeting will be soon. It is a rather relaxing start to the day to see a group of scammers and thugs glaring at you, out of breath. Maybe one day, I'll even get the luxury of seeing them actually scuffle with you and see a bruise or two on that face of yours."

Oberon chuckled nervously. "Um… sure. Well, I'll see you later then. Still need to grab breakfast off some poor unsuspecting fellow."

He started to walk off, but it wasn't long before he was stopped.

"Wait." Souna called out to him.

Oberon turned around.

"…Just come with me. The Student Council has a few snacks stacked up in our office. It would be better to take from that pile than to leech off a student who might actually need their food."

"Hmm…" Oberon hummed. "Sure, I guess. Never thought I'd be invited to the prestigious Student Council's office, but I guess any twist is possible in this grand play of ours."

"Don't be mistaken." Souna glared sternly at him. "This is not an extension of my friendship. This is just for the sake of the school's public order. I cannot have you disturbing students right before classes start just to leach off their food."

Oberon laughed rather loudly. "Sure, sure… if that's how you want to convince yourself. Well, then…"

With a teasing glint in his eyes, he bowed deeply, flourishing his hands in a dramatic manner. "Lead the way, Shitori-taichou."

Souna huffed, and having nothing else to say, turned on her heel, walking off in the direction of her office.

As they passed through the various floors of the school building, various students greeted them, waving and smiling. While Souna said nothing, simply nodding to acknowledge their words, Oberon tried to exchange pleasantries with most of them, though never having much time because of Souna's brisk pace.

The rumor mill of Kuoh Academy's high school division had already begun to spin. Seeing the coldest and most upright figure of their school almost dragging along her polar opposite – the most carefree member of their school – was sure to keep the gossiping alive for at least the rest of the day, if not the entirety of the week.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the door of the office.

Souna moved to grab the doorknob, pausing just as her hand hovered right above it.

"…" She turned to stare at Oberon. "I want you to be on your best behaviour, understood? Do not make any attempts to purloin anything that catches your fancy."

"Yeah, yeah." Oberon waved her concerns off half-heartedly. "Just here for the food. Got it. Filling my stomach then I'm booted out."

She stared silently at his expression for a few seconds, trying to figure out if he was going to keep his word.

Apparently, what she saw satisfied her, as she begrudgingly opened the door, letting Oberon catch his first glimpse of the Student Council office.

His eyes swept from side to side, appreciating the room in front of him.

High-class. Very western. Almost resembled a lounge. Luxurious velvet couches. Artisan hand-crafted mahogany tables… tableware made from fine china.

It almost made him feel at home.

A few girls sat around a central coffee table on two opposite-facing couches, chatting away happily.

"…o that was when Gensh… Ah!" One of them paused, reacting to the fact the door had been opened.

The three of them immediately got up and bowed lightly to Souna.

"""Good morning, Kaichou."""

The girl who had been speaking earlier – the one with long brown hair tied into two ponytails – was the first to glance to the side, noticing their second visitor.

She flinched slightly, a slight layer of pink dusting her cheeks. "O-Oberon-sama?"

She tensed up, fidgeting slightly.

Oberon chuckled at her reaction. "It's nice to meet you again… Nimura-san, was it?"

"Y-yes. That's right…" She nodded shyly. "Nimura Ruruko. I'm glad you remembered my name, Oberon-sama."

"Been a while, hasn't it?" Oberon smiled. "I recall the last, and well, first, time we met was near the beginning of the school year. So, you've become one of them, huh? A member of the Student Council? That's nice."

"Yes." She nodded again. "Everyone here is quite nice, and they treat me well… ah, sorry…" She shook her head rapidly. "Where are my manners…"

She cleared her throat, gesturing to the two girls with her.

"This is Hanakai Momo-senpai."

An elegant-looking girl with softly curled white hair bowed lightly towards him. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Oberon-san."

"And this is Meguri Tomoe."

A girl with messy reddish hair tied into two shoulder length twin tails waved cheerfully at him. "Nice to meet you, Oberon-san!"

"Pleased to meet the both of you, Hanakai, Meguri." He reciprocated their greetings, bowing lightly in exchange.

"Ahem." Souna coughed, grabbing the attention of her subordinates. "Oberon Gwrtheyrn will be having morning tea here as to not disturb other students. Momo, could you retrieve the plate of snacks for him?"

"Understood, Kaichou." Momo nodded, walking off to the side.

Souna turned to face Oberon again. "I apologise, but if you desire any form of beverage, the best we can offer at the moment is water. Tsubaki, who would usually brew our tea and coffee, is currently busy at the moment, and I can make no promises that she'll be back any time soon."

"Haha, that's fine." Oberon laughed it off, taking a seat on one of the couches.

"Also." Souna's gaze hardened. "Do not expect this to be a common occurrence in the future. While we do have a duty to provide for the students at Kuoh Academy, we are not charity workers, and are under no obligation to feed every student who skips their breakfast. Please make an effort in the future to attain breakfast yourself outside of school, preferably without taking someone else's. Otherwise, we may be seeing each other in this office soon under different conditions, such as you harassing other students for food."

Oberon chuckled nervously. "Come on, Shitori… I'm not that bad. If it wasn't for the delinquents, I wouldn't have even considered it. Besides…"

He grinned slyly. "Harassing? You make it sound a lot worse than what it actually is."

"That's right!" Ruruko piped up, sitting across from him. "When I met him back when the year started, he definitely didn't harass me. He just asked nicely if I had any spare food on me. Only other thing he did was smile nicely. How could I say no when he was so polite about it?"

Souna slowly moved her gaze towards her. "…"

"…" Ruruko squirmed a bit in response.

Souna sighed in exasperation, pinching the bridge of her nose.

She whispered something under her breath.

"My own subordinates, falling into his trap…"

Before she could say anything else, the group was interrupted by a large plate clattering on the coffee table in front of them.

"Sorry for the wait." Momo smiled politely, placing the plate of pastries and snacks in front of Oberon.

He hummed lowly, taking in the sight of the plate in front of him.

Macarons, caramel slices, biscuits, cake. Even scones and bagels filled with blueberry and mascarpone could be found on the plate.

"How nice. Reminds me of home." Oberon grinned. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say these were baked just for me."

Souna shrugged. "There's not much I can say. I grew up mostly in Europe, as did most of my family. These are simply what I'm accustomed to."

"How nice. One more thing you and I share together. One step closer to being friends, huh?" He teased.

Souna's eyebrow twitched.

He reached out to the plate set in front of him, picking something up at random.

"Ah, that's right." He looked up, pointing his head at the other occupants in the room. "Have you three ladies eaten yet?"

"That's alright, Oberon-san, I've had my own breakfast already." Momo replied politely.

"Haha…" Ruruko scratched the back of her head. "Sorry, Oberon-sama, same here."

"Oh!" Tomoe's eyes brightened up. "Are you inviting me to some of these?"

Oberon just shrugged. "Not my food. It belongs to you guys in the first place. Help yourself."

Souna glanced over the table one last time. "If that's all, then please enjoy yourselves. If you need anything, Oberon Gwrtheyrn, I'll be at my desk. Do not be scared to interrupt me, there is nothing too important that is being worked on at the moment."

Oberon passed the time with idle chatter, engaging in half-hearted gossip with the three Student Council members. They were all random topics that no one had any particular vested interest in – such as whether or not the Kendo Club were all secretly into BDSM, or if the Manga Research Club was just a secret cover for an underground porn trading ring for the college students.

Eventually, after many minutes had passed, someone knocked on the door.

"Ah, I'll…" Momo got up, but she was beaten to the punch on answering the door.

Somehow, without making any sound, Souna had made her way across the room and gotten to the door before any of the four sitting down even realised they had visitors.

"Sorry for the delay, Kaichou, but I've brought the two guests." A stern voice answered Souna at the door.

Hm? Oberon blinked. Those presences were…

He shifted his eyes to the door without moving his neck.

Three girls… no, more like young ladies. They all held themselves with a tad more grace and experience than the rest of them.

The one talking to Souna was a girl with long black hair and split bangs. A neat pair of glasses framed two unremarkable brown eyes. She was clearly well disciplined and studious, considering how straight her posture was and how focused her gaze was.

The other two…

Oberon frowned.

"That's alright." Souna nodded in understanding. "Please come on in. Tsubaki, would you kindly make us some tea?"

"Understood, Kaichou."

As the young lady with the glasses entered the room, she blinked in surprise at the unexpected occupant.

"Yo, Shinra." Oberon waved lazily, smirking lightly.

"You- Oberon?" Tsubaki reeled slightly. "What are you doing in the Student Council office?"

"Isn't it obvious, Shinra?" Oberon shrugged. "Your beloved Student Council peers have finally fallen victim to my devilish charms and invited me into their office to transform it into a den of debauchery."

He turned to Ruruko, sitting across from him.

"Isn't that right, Nimura-chan?" He smiled prettily at her.

"E-eh?" Ruruko blinked, blushing. "I-I mean, yes, yes! That's uh… definitely…"

"What she means, Tsubaki…" Souna cut in. "Is that Oberon Gwrtheyrn is here solely to have morning tea so he does not distract any other students before classes begin."

She glared heavily at the smirking boy.

"Hahah, whoops, I guess." Oberon shrugged. "Slip of the tongue. Happens, you know?"

"…" Souna shifted her glare towards Ruruko, who shrunk underneath her gaze. "And Ruruko, I understand you first years have a grand image of Oberon Gwrtheyrn built in your heads for some odd reason, but please do not simply just go along with whatever he says. Please stay behind after the bell rings, I'll have to talk to you alone."

She gestured towards Tsubaki to get a move on, letting the two people stuck in the doorway behind her pop into the room.

"Ara, I heard Gwrtheyrn-kun was visiting?" A head topped by long black hair tied into a ponytail by an orange ribbon popped into the room.

He'd recognize that ribbon anywhere. It'd be hard to forget it.

"Ah, Himejima-senpai." Oberon smiled, staring into her shimmering violet eyes. "I didn't think I'd be meeting you here of all places. How quaint."

"Ufufu…" Akeno giggled demurely. "I never thought you would be here for any reason that wasn't disciplinary in nature. It seems Souna-chan here is softening to our dear prince's charms, isn't she?"

Souna's eyebrow twitched, but she made no comment.

Oberon's eyes moved across. "You too, Gremory-senpai. It's good to see you again."

Luxurious crimson threads that cascaded down to her hips. A full, voluptuous figure and tempting blue green eyes that glittered in the dark; the spitting image of a succubus if he ever saw one.

"Doing as well as ever, I see." Rias smiled politely at him. "I don't suppose in the meantime since our last meeting, you've reconsidered my offer, have you?"

"Joining your club, you mean?" Oberon laughed lightly. "Sorry, a free spirit like myself wouldn't do well in a club. Unless maybe it was the Drama Club. Maybe if your Occult Research Club wants to re-enact a legend through theatre or something, I'll consider it."

"I see." Rias frowned. "That's a shame, then."

"Ah, well…" Oberon hopped up, stretching himself. "Seems like you all have some private business to take care of. I won't bother you all anymore."

The two visitors stepped to the side, clearing a path to let him exit.

He turned around one last time as he left, waving to Souna. "Thanks for the snacks, Shitori. I'll be sure to come back soon for more."

He shut the door behind him, leaving the young women alone.

"…" Souna frowned. "The nerve of that man. 'Come back soon'? Did I not make it clear to him this was a one-time only deal?"

"Hm?" Akeno grinned. "Are you sure you aren't falling for him? It looks to me like you've been giving him some preferential treatment as of late."

Souna shifted her deadpan gaze towards Akeno. "I'm not going to dignify that with an answer."

She sighed heavily, moving to take a seat on one of the spare couches. "Also, really, Rias? Are you still pestering him to join your Peerage? It's been over a year at this point. There's no need to keep surveillance on him anymore. I think he's made it pretty clear he has no ill intentions at this point and just wants to live quietly."

Rias shrugged, taking a seat opposite to her. "I know. But if he's proved himself not hostile, then that means there's a chance, right? It's not an offer to see how he reacts anymore, I'm just desperate to get my hands on any new Peerage members."

"Whatever…" Souna shook her head. "Let's just get on with our actual business, now."

…

Outside that room, a man paced down an empty hallway.

The sun's rays streaming through the window, once soft and inviting, hardened in place, almost dimming. The light turned cold and harsh, the gentle sparkle that radiated off the surfaces which had reflected and absorbed the sunlight disappeared.

"Devils." The silver-haired man spat. His voice distorted, losing its gentle harmony, melting into a scratchy rasp.

"…Creatures governed by simple minded desire. No hope or ingenuity of their own. All they can do is take it from others. Feeding off the desires of the innocent to fuel themselves and extend their pointless lives. Never once advancing themselves or their society, never once reflecting on their worthless selves. Yet still they uphold the image of a species that innovates by simply robbing humans of their innovations."

The once charming glimmer in his eyes blinked out of existence.

All that was left behind were sharp azure orbs that gazed through an abyss.

"…They remind me of home, truly."

A land of fairies, where humans were scarce. A society that had well and truly lost the will to progress, stagnating into oblivion. The best they could do was haphazardly take ideas from human history and shoddily replicate them, resulting in nothing more than a hollow shell of something was once beautiful.

The man scoffed, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Maybe that's why I feel so comfortable here. They're just as disgusting as me. How wretched."

The bell rung, signaling the end of class and the start of lunch.

All around the school grounds, teenagers could be seen gathering in small clumps, sitting around one another, loudly laughing and playing games.

'Their heads… all filled with simple thoughts. Jealousy over the quality of a friend's lunch, lamenting over Shitori's strictness, concern over potentially misreading romantic intent. How quaint…'

A young man watched from far above, sitting on the school rooftop, lazily munching away at the lunch provided by the school cafeteria.

'How must it feel to have such innocent concerns? To only have to worry about the simple joys of today. To never have anything hanging over your lives. You need not to confront your own existence, you need not to loathe your very being. You can just wake up the next day, forget it all, and move on, smiling again.'

His regal blue eyes shimmered as he smiled, enjoying simply watching the people beneath him pass the time away.

'What an eyesore.'

He laughed to himself gently.

'Sometimes I wish I could pluck these Fairy Eyes of mine out from my head. At least then the mindless buzzing of these gnats would never bother me again.'

Behind him, a door opened quietly.

Small, meek steps approached him.

Oberon slowly turned his head around.

White. It was the first thing he saw.

A memory from a long time ago drudged itself up from the depths of his mind.

A small ball of fluff, white in colour. It was round and soft, his fingers could sink through it forever, it felt like. It would look up at him with these beady black eyes, its gaze adoring and wondrous, focused only on him.

Its wings would beat rather cutely, always flapping minutely in excitement in his presence.

…

Every time he looked at the figure in front of him, he could not help but be reminded of those warm memories, from that time long ago.

'Blanca. You again. How disgusting.'

Hair that was pure white, whiter than the driven snow. A thing of wonder, a miracle of natural beauty.

He wondered how it would feel to run his hands through it. He imagined it would be soft. Like wrapping himself around a freshly washed blanket in the middle of winter. Something that would invite him further and further into its depths.

Golden eyes stared up at him, wide and unblinking. Their gaze quivered lightly, shuddering in a mixture of shyness and minute joys.

A cute and petite figure that made him want to hold that person in his hands, cuddling her protectively.

'I want to squash you in my hands. Will you crumble and squish the same way she did? Will your blood be just as rotten as hers, Koneko Toujou?'

Oberon smiled. "Toujou-chan, up here again?"

The petite girl nodded demurely.

"Oberon-senpai…" She tried to keep her voice even – free from any feelings that might have given her intentions away.

Oberon laughed internally. It was cute seeing her like that. But ultimately, to someone with eyes like his, it was a useless endeavour.

'Don't look at me with those ugly eyes.'

"No need to ask." Oberon cut her off softly, moving to the side and patting the empty space next to him.

Koneko sat down next to him, taking out a lunchbox she had gotten from elsewhere.

"Is everything good, Toujou-chan? Did the weekend treat you well?" His eyes softened.

"Mm." The girl nodded. "It was busy. But not unpleasant."

She curled up slightly, not finding the concrete of the rooftop comfortable enough to sit on properly. Her slightly lazy curled up posture almost reminded him of a cat.

Oberon chuckled lightly. "Good company, huh? The Occult Research Club… having friends like that… must be nice."

His ears pricked up. He could faintly pick up the sound of a coach rolling up to the school grounds.

"Oh, right… the Kendo Club went out to that national competition over the weekends, huh? Wonder how that played out… heard Homurahara beat them pretty bad last year." He filled the dead air between them with small talk.

"…" Koneko nodded absently.

It would have been hard for any regular person to tell whether her thoughts were trapped somewhere else or if she was just being stoic.

"Is something wrong, Toujou-chan?" Oberon smiled at her. "You seem a little nervous."

"It's nothing." Koneko shook her head. "Still tense from the weekends, probably."

"Is that how it is?" Oberon smiled wryly.

'Don't try to hide it. I know exactly how you feel. I can see it with these eyes.'

There was an aura that surrounded the petite girl, visible only to his Fairy Eyes.

Formless blues, pale like the sky, rolling away from her like waves from an ocean. The edges flickered and faded, dancing quietly in withheld joy, expressing warm feelings. The blues melted away, transitioning to warm, hearty pinks at the very edges of the aura, a soft golden hue washing over all of it.

'And it's ugly. I don't want to see those colours. Never speak to me again, girl.'

His eyes flicked away, catching onto something happening down below.

"The perverts." Koneko frowned. "Again."

Three boys ran across the school grounds, drawing everyone's eye. One with spiky brown hair, one with a shaved head, and the final one wearing glasses.

"That direction they're heading in…" Oberon's eyes trailed along. "…The Kendo Club's changing room? Really? Word spread that fast they're back?"

"Scum." Koneko stated blankly. "They only try when it comes to being degenerates."

'I could say the same about your kind. You sacks of shit.'

"Bit too eager, don't you think?" Oberon chortled. "The girls haven't even gotten out of the coach, let alone gotten into the changing room. Think we might see the first instance of the Perverted Trio getting chased away before they even get to do anything."

"Scum." Koneko repeated simply. "They deserve it."

Oberon laughed. "Haha…"

His smile widened, if only slightly. "…Honestly, I'm kind of jealous."

He closed his eyes, thinking of faces long gone. "To be so eager about something, to have such flaming passion and to be able to share it with other people. To laugh together, to smile together… even if its something like pornography… it's kinda nice, honestly."

Two girls.

One was a human. Bright orange hair and amber eyes. The simplest, most naïve smile he'd ever seen.

The other was a fairy. Golden hair and emerald eyes. Filled with hope and innocence, longing for a simple future.

'God, what disgusting memories. I hope to never see you two again. Especially you, faerie child. This world is a rotten place. I will detest you for the rest of my meaningless life for sending me to this eternal hell to torture me.'

Ah, speaking of…

"How does the Occult Research Club treat you, anyways? Gremory-senpai's been pestering me to join again."

"Again?" Koneko frowned. "I thought I told her to stop pushing."

"Aw…" Oberon chuckled. "And here I thought we had a good thing going. I guess you don't want me around after all?"

"What?" Koneko blinked, the faintest layer of pink pushing to the surface of her cheeks. "No, that's…"

She looked away.

"Not what I meant. It'd be nice if you joined. But…"

Her eyes flicked back and forth.

"You shouldn't be forced. You made it clear you didn't want to."

'Of course, I didn't. Are you daft? I'm not. I know exactly what she wants from me when she asks me to 'join her club'. And she can fuck right off.'

"Haha…" Oberon smiled. "That's good. I was almost scared you were going to say you hated me."

'Because I hate you. More than anything. Go die in a fire. Just like Blanca did.'

"I…" Koneko looked away again, not wanting him to see her cheeks lighting up slowly. "…Could never hate you, Oberon-senpai."

"That's good." A teasing smile rose on his lips, knowing exactly what was happening in her mind. "Not sure I could live with myself if I knew an innocent girl like you hated my guts."

'Please do. Hate my guts that is. Maybe then I'll have the courage to end this pitiful illusion of ours.'

Koneko curled up even further.

The colours that surrounded her turned one shade warmer. The golden hue that washed around her aura intensified, if only by just a bit.

"…It's good, by the way."

"Hm?"

"Everyone treats me well. Himejima-senpai spoils me a lot. Yuuto-senpai buys a lot of sweets to share with me. Buchou treats me like a little sister. It's a good family."

"Family, huh? …Is that what you are to each other?"

"…Yes…"

"Haha… that sounds nice. It really does…"

Again, an image flashed in his mind. Three friends hanging around a campfire. A girl with a face from a painting popped out from the bushes. An old man with red hair came afterwards, then a lively horse. An armored girl with a shield slept next a watchful fairy with a spinning wheel. A young aspiring knight followed closely behind a tall, smiling man.

People that once were. Now, nothing more than an uncertain illusion from a world that no longer exists.

"You. All of you. Your silly little friends and your silly little families. You can all go fuck yourselves. If I see any of you smile one more time, I'll…'

The courtyard below them brimmed with life, as students finished their lunches and got up to play around.

Somewhere in the distance, screams could be heard as a trio of boys ran away from a group of girls waving around wooden sticks.

And the two of them sat there, silently. Simply comfortably enjoying the other's presence.

It was nice and quiet, now.

…He missed this feeling. It was a novel thing. If only he could experience it more. If only these experiences of his could last just a bit longer, if only they were just a bit more intense. Perhaps then, they could amount to something meaningful.

"…It's nice… being up here." Oberon blurted out. He tilted his head back, looking directly into the sun, which had risen to its highest point.

He closed his eyes, basking in its light.

The subtle breeze of autumn passed them by, the tender warmth of the sun pressing down on his pale skin.

"…There's no need to put on a performance in an atmosphere like this." He smiled gently. "The thespian side of Fairy Prince Oberon Gwrtheyrn has no need to put on an act."

He slowly leant forward again, opening his eyes bit by bit.

"I can just… be quiet." He propped his elbow up, leaning his cheek into his hand. "Be myself, I guess. Alone here, with my thoughts. Appreciate the world as it is. I don't need to be an actor in someone else's play… there's no need for me carry out a narrative written for someone else's pleasure…"

Koneko stole a quick glance at his face.

His expression was soft. His eyes were half-lidded, intensifying the regal gleam of his eyes, which had shone with warmth. His smile was gentle, yet wide, one of true peace and content.

"I can be an audience member, for once. Someone who will buy a ticket to a play and watch it for enjoyment. Laugh, cry, smile, frown, at the actors on the stage and the story being told… free from all of those troubles myself."

His eyes, slowly, moved over to the person who sat next to him.

'I hate people like you.'

"I'm glad the person I could share my ticket with was someone like you, Toujou-chan."

"…" Koneko looked down. "You always sound… alone."

Her stoic voice held a tinge of sadness.

"…" Oberon chuckled self-depreciatingly. "…I guess I do, huh?"

'Of course, I do. That's just the kind of existence I am. Once the story ends, so do I. I'm stuck here, forever. While all of you get to move on.'

"It…" Koneko trailed off. "…It doesn't have to be that way."

"Hm?" Oberon smiled sadly.

'…'

"What do you mean?"

'Don't. Don't say those words. Say those words and I'll kill you.'

"…" Koneko brushed her hair behind her ear, revealing to Oberon the rosy cheeks which had hidden behind it.

"…I'll be here for you. Whenever you need me. Just call… I'll answer."

'…'

"Hahahaha…" Oberon laughed. Loudly.

'I hate it all. I hate this farce of a world. I hate this disgusting 'school' thing. I hate myself for lacking the courage to strangle you right here and now. And above that…'

The bell rung. It was time to go back to class.

"…Thanks, Toujou-chan. I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."

'I hate you, Koneko Toujou.'

The sun started to set. It was starting to get late for many of the school students. At this hour, most of the clubs had already closed for the day.

There was only one group in Kuoh Academy that would stay behind at an hour like this.

A petite girl walked across the empty courtyard with a skip in her step, moving behind the school building.

She skipped past the grass which was slowly painted orange by the sun's dying light, humming a tune she had heard carried by a certain man earlier that day.

She came up to a building. It was large, but not overly so. Three stories tall, covered in wood. It was clearly old, with bits of wood chipped away or rotten by time. The owners clearly tried their best to maintain it, painting over the imperfections with white paint, whose freshness contrasted against the age of the building.

The girl wandered in, climbed up a set of stairs, and walked down a hallway. She pulled open one final set of doors, and was greeted by a room lit only by candles.

"Oh, Koneko-chan?" Akeno greeted her, sitting on one of the sofas, chatting to Rias as she enjoyed a cup of tea. "You're rather late today."

"Mm." Koneko just nodded, hopping up next to her. "Was at Drama Club."

"Hm?" Akeno blinked.

"They're entering production season." Rias answered. "They get rather busy around this time of the year. A lot of manual labor and handwork goes into crafting the set pieces. I heard a bit about it this morning from Sona."

"I see… but why would Koneko-ch-" Akeno paused. "Ah."

She realised something. "That's right. They commissioned Gwrtheyrn-kun to help with production this year, didn't they?"

She laughed into her hand, looking at Koneko with a teasing glint in her eyes. "Good for you, Koneko-chan… spending more time next to your beloved senpai. Must be nice, innocently curling up next to your crush under the guise of helping out."

Koneko's toes curled in slightly. "…" She looked away, bringing her knees to her chest and covering the lower half of her face with her arms in order to hide her pink cheeks. "I want manju."

"?" Akeno tilted her head.

"Oberon-senpai got manju for everyone after we finished. I only managed to get two."

"Ufufu…" Akeno giggled. "Ah. Young love. How wonderful."

"Shut up." Koneko lowered herself further into her arms, until only her eyes peeked out. "Manju. Please."

"Ah, yes, yes, I'm on it." Akeno got up, placing her cup of tea down and walking over to one of the connected rooms on the side.

"The young grow quickly, don't they?" Rias sighed, smiling. "Time seems to fly in an instant. It still feels like it was only last month I put you on surveillance for him. But really, that was over a year ago…"

"…Clearly, I'm not that good at it." Koneko mumbled.

"Aw, don't put yourself down like that. You did fine with Hyoudou-kun. Everything worked out perfectly in the end, and we have a new cute little pawn to play with now! If everything goes well, Yuuto-kun should be able to bring him in tomorrow!"

"…" Koneko's face twitched slightly. "I still don't like it."

Rias giggled. "I know he looks really bad, but trust me, he's not that bad. He's actually a really nice boy, trust me."

Koneko shook her head. "I know. I was the one who had to do surveillance on him. I'm still uncomfortable about that part but that's not what I meant."

"Hm?"

"Hyoudou was just a normal person. He had his own totally normal life, with his own friends, his own family and his own ambitions. He doesn't belong in our world. Yuuto-senpai, Himejima-senpai, and me… we were fated to be in this world from the moment we were born. You just happened to pick us up."

"…You weren't always this sensitive to the affairs of normal people." Rias noted.

"Being around Oberon-senpai and experiencing his theatrics changed me. I guess."

"…Is that what you like about him?"

Akeno returned to the main room, setting down a plate stacked high with manju. "Ara, is this what we're talking about, now?"

She sat down in her original spot, returning to her cup of tea. "To be honest, I don't really see the appeal. He's much too… free-spirited and willful for my tastes. I prefer someone much more… malleable, meek…"

"No one asked for your tastes, Akeno. We all know how you like your men." Rias deadpanned. "Personally, I get it. I don't feel anything for Gwrtheyrn, but I definitely understand why some people prefer him over the likes of Yuuto-kun. I've had one too many fantasies of a suave runaway prince rescuing me from my tower. Gwrtheyrn could probably do that, but Yuuto-kun would be far too polite and gentle to assume that role."

"Hmm…" Akeno nodded, bringing a finger to her chin. "Well, its no use pondering about it. Why not take it from the source itself?"

She smiled at Koneko. "So, what is it, Koneko? Is it his free spirit? His mischievous smile? His regal aura?"

"No." Koneko shook her head. "Nothing that shallow."

It wasn't anything so romantic.

Hell, romantic was the last thing she could call it.

All the things that every other girl in the school found attractive about him initially led her to be repulsed by him when they first met.

"It's…" her voice trailed off.

Rather than 'love at first sight', it was 'hate at first sight'.

"Never mind, you wouldn't get it."

It was a story for another day.

"How cute." Rias cooed. "That's what all the girls say these days."

"You're only two years older than me, Buchou." Koneko deadpanned.

"Anyways," Rias changed the subject, "so when can we expect our little kitten to get her first boyfriend, hm?"

Koneko sighed. "…"

"Come on… maybe two months from now? One? Oh, maybe if you're bold you could do it in as little as one week."

"Buchou."

"What? If I had a boy I really liked, I'd push him down on the spot."

Akeno rolled her eyes. "That's because you're desperate to get out of an engagement." She remarked dryly.

"Mou, Akeno! You should be on my side with this one!" Rias pouted. "Besides, if everything goes smoothly with Gwrtheyrn, we might even have a new knight or bishop!"

"…" Koneko glared lightly at Rias. "I thought we agreed you wouldn't try to recruit him anymore."

Rias averted her eyes. "…I wasn't being serious when I asked him this morning, if that's what you meant."

"…"

"…That was just the first time he'd been right at the heart of a devil's base of operations. He had never been called to the Student Council Office before. Figured I should ask him just to prod and see if he had any reaction. Didn't pan out. He didn't act any differently."

"…" Koneko grabbed another manju from the quickly disappearing pile in front of her.

She looked to the side.

"And I'm fine with how things are. If it happens, it happens."

Rias sighed. "Young girls these days…"

She shook her head wistfully. "You need to be bolder these days. You can't just sit on the sidelines, that's how you lose him. Take it from your older sister."

Koneko deadpanned at her. "…And how many boyfriends have you had?"

"W-well…" Rias bristled, blushing. "That's how it goes in manga, okay!? The childhood friend who never takes any initiative always loses to the bold main love interest!"

"…I'll listen when you date someone."

Rias frowned. "How rude. this must be the famed rebellious phase."

Akeno laughed. "Well, it's certainly much better than how you acted in your freshman year."

"H-hey, Akeno! What's with you today? Why won't you take my side?"

Her Queen just shrugged in response. "I just like Koneko's mood right now, I guess. I rarely see her this expressive."

"…Sure wish she was a little less expressive towards me." Rias mumbled to the side.

Her eyes trailed off, scanning the rest of the dimly lit room. By now, the sun had fully set.

"Yuuto-kun still isn't back yet, hm?" Rias frowned.

Koneko blinked. "…Where is Yuuto-senpai, anyways?"

"Just some preparations in case we have to face the fallen angels who've nested here. Knows more about church people gone dark than all of us combined, probably."

"…" Koneko reached in front of her for more manju, but found that there was none left. "I see."

"…Would you like me to get some more manju, Koneko-chan?" Akeno asked.

"No. I'm fine." Koneko hopped up from the couch, reaching into her pockets to take out her phone.

It was getting late.

"I'm going home."

She swiped up on the screen, and tapped at several buttons, eventually finding her way to the contacts list.

Oberon-senpai

She hesitated for a moment.

But before long, her fingers were tapping away, sending one message after another.

The stars shone brightly above her.

are you there
just finished with club
– 7:43PM

"…"

Blank blue eyes stared at a digital screen.

Oberon laid on his bed lazily, holding his phone high above him.

"…Is there something wrong with your brain, girl?" He muttered.

He did nothing but stare at the message for minutes, baffled.

Eventually, his fingers started to respond against his will.

I'm here.
Is everything okay?
– 7:47PM

"God…" He cringed hard. "What the fuck am I doing, entertaining this nonsense?"

all good
havent had dinner
– 7:48PM

"I hope you starve." He scowled.

Have you really eaten nothing since Drama Club ended?
– 7:48PM

had a bunch of manju
still hungry

"…"

wanna grab something
– 7:49PM

"…I know you're not daft, girl. Unlike them, you know exactly what you're doing."

Just the two of us?
You sure?
– 7:51PM

"You spend all that time next to me, and your first instinct is to… ask for more? God, how fucked up is your taste in men? Might as well go licking the scraps off a fucking dumpster."

why not
still a lot open right now
– 7:51PM

"…" Oberon stared silently at those words.

why not

"…I thought I made it clear exactly how I felt about you at lunch, girl. And I know you understood exactly what I said." He snarled, tightening his grip around the phone.

I don't think I can pay for your appetite.
– 7:53PM

"Now shoo. Go away. Don't ever speak to me again."

ill pay for myself
just meet me at the park
be there in 10
– 7:54PM

"…" He shut the screen off, letting his arm fall to the side.

"You're a disgusting thing, girl."

He closed his eyes.

"…You must be insane. It's the only explanation. Pieces of your brain are missing. That's the only reason I can think of that would explain why you continue to remain by my side even after seeing everything."

He sighed heavily.

"What a perfectly crafted torture you've made for me, faerie child from Avalon. Truly, I can think of no worse fate to suffer through than to continue to interact with this girl."

The stage of the play was set. The curtains were drawn and the actors were all gathered.

"…Ah, well… it doesn't really matter in the end. You'll just meet the same fate as Blanca did."

It began just as any other day would for Oberon. It began with a lie.

"I'll be looking forward to it when it comes."

Not a lie to someone else.

But a lie to his own feelings.

See you soon.
– 7:55PM

'I hate you, Koneko Toujou. More than anything else in this world.'

Despite his thoughts, his cold, dead liar's heart let out one pump of warm, fresh blood.

And thus began the tale of Oberon the Liar.

Welcome to the weirdest fucking fanfiction anyone has ever decided to write.

Like seriously.

Oberon is by far the weirdest character to write, weirder to write as a protagonist and even weirder to write as a crossover protagonist.

And the exact worst crossover I could have done is DxD.

And the exact worst pairing I could have done is… well…

Yea.

If you read this far… good job, I guess. Hope you're strapped in for the shitshow.

Anyways, all jokes aside, this IS going to be a really weird fic. Definitely not your average protagonist-in-DxD-canon plot.

I don't like to use author's notes to communicate things about the story but this is a really weirdly written prologue with a bunch of gaps in the middle (and its purposely made that way. I don't usually write in such a disconnected manner, I swear) so some stuff is definitely inevitable.

First things first. Most prominent thing, Oberon's monologuing. If you actually know who Oberon is, I don't imagine this is an issue, you probably get what's going on here.

The problem is I don't really know how many people will read this and actually understand what the fuck is going on and who Oberon is.

Like I said, I'd much prefer the story to speak for itself, so I'll try to keep this to a minimum.

Oberon is a liar. The world's biggest liar. That is his shtick.

Not just the things he says, but everything. His actions, his thoughts, his feelings. None of it is true to what is actually in his mind and heart.

That doesn't just mean you can flip what he says and thinks to find out how he actually feels.

Well, you kinda can, I guess.

The idea of something being 'true' is not something that can apply to Oberon. To quote in-game material:

"Oberon's lies are so perfect they cannot be considered fiction…"

"However, since he is cursed and anything he does is considered a lie, it being true holds no meaning to it."

Even the original ideas that Oberon's lying thoughts were twisted from, in themselves, aren't 'true' either. It's a never-ending spiral of contradiction and misery.

His spoken dialogue, while they're also complete lies as evidenced by the monologuing, are also in a twisted way the closest thing you'll have to a definitive truth, if such a thing were to exist. At least in the public personality of Fairy Prince Oberon. When he's by himself, what was his monologuing becomes his spoken dialogue.

Anyways, just this once because this is a really weird prologue that doesn't explain anything, I'll write what was basically intended to be communicated to the audience.

- Oberon compares Devils to the Faeries of his home and remarks how similar they are. He finds this disgusting, in part because he believes both are just genuinely disgusting, but mostly because he hates how many good memories come up when he thinks about it. The only way he can concile this with himself is to drag himself mentally down to their level and think that they're only good memories because they're equally disgusting as him, and he's equally disgusting as them.

- His fairy eyes, which can discern truth and lie (though never his own), highlight the joyous nature of everyday life in this nature. This fills him with envy, knowing he will never be able to attain such feelings for himself, because even if he does, they will just turn out to be lies he was telling himself in the end. Unable to admit he's envious, he resorts to just calling it disgusting.

- Koneko reminds Oberon of Blanca. He hates her getting close to him because he believes her life will end in the same way. The last thing he wants is for her feelings to be genuine, because it will only end in her being sacrificed heartlessly by him because of his nature as a liar, resulting in her life being lived pointlessly, her affection never once meaning anything to him. Once again, the only way he can concile this with reality is to insult her as much as possible and stop her from confessing her feelings as often as he can.

As for how he actually feels about her? He probably cares. Like a lot.

But that's for later.

Like I said, I'm very aware that this is a very jumpy prologue. We're like missing an entire year between when Oberon landed and the present. That's on purpose.

We'll visit the past and Oberon's first meeting(s) with Koneko over time.

By the way, yes, Koneko is the heroine.

Yes, that is incredibly weird. I know. It makes sense, though.

We'll visit it eventually.

I promise you there's a lot more to it than the fact that Blanca is small and white and Koneko is small and has white hair.

This isn't a random crack ship that I came up with randomly and felt like writing.

I hate to make empty promises, but please, trust me on this one.

And no, Oberon won't be reincarnated or altered in any way, shape or form. He's just Oberon.

Also, I'll add the Oberon character tag when it's added to the site. I'll give it a few weeks before I try to send the email myself.

That's all. Hopefully the next chapter I write of this will be a lot more structured and far less weird.

18th Nov. 2021: Small edits. Compacted a few sentences down (mostly removing ellipses). Also added character tags. (27th Nov 2021: They added the proper Oberon tag, so that's a thing now.)

23rd Mar. 2022: Fixed up some of the grammar. Added a bit more focus onto anything to do with the memories of LB6; improved the section with 'Artoria Avalon' to give her lines more character and giving a bit of setup for the future, changed some of the mentions of the LB6 crew. Also cleaned up any time that Oberon says something about Artoria Caster bringing him to this world to be consistent with future developments.